Description

The freedom of religion is one of the oldest and most controversial of the claims that are recognized as forming part of the corpus of human rights. In this important and fascinating book Malcolm Evans provides a detailed account of the ways in which the freedom of religious belief came to be incorporated into the legislation of the countries of Europe. He goes on to examine the mechanisms by which this freedom is guaranteed, and a number of problematic cases which have recently been discussed in the Council of Europe. In a concluding section he outlines a number of developments which will influence the direction that the search for the protection of religious liberty under international law may take.show more

Table of contents

Acknowledgements; Chronological table of international treaties; Table of cases; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Early antecedents; 2. From Augsburg to Paris; 3. The League of Nations: drafting the Covenant; 4. The Polish Minorities Treaty; 5. The extension of the minorities system; 6. The experience under the League; 7. The UN system; 8. Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; 9. The 1981 Declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief; 10. Religious freedom under the European Convention on Human Rights: the drafting of Article 9 and of Article 2 of the First Protocol; 11. The application of Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights; 12. Restrictions upon the scope of Article 9(1); 13. The application of Article 2 of the First Protocol; 14. An interim conclusion; Bibliography; Index.show more

Review quote

"This work is highly recommended...to those seeking an introduction to this subject..." Daniel L. Wade, International Journal of Legal Information "Malcom Evans' Religious Liberty and International Law in Europe is an exceedingly well-researched, indexed, and documented work that examines, from both historical and current perspectives, international legal protections of the rights of religion, conscience, and belief on the European continent." Journal of Religionshow more